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An exploration of the world of the veterinary specialist. The place of surgical and non-surgical treatments and diagnostics. Can a specialty practice "Go Where No Man has Gone Before?" We are accessible, while providing value and great communication.
Please, Look Around

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Meet Zeppelin! He’s a 2 ½ year-old, very friendly guy,
who belongs to our own Dr. Rob Schnurr. Zeppelin has the distinction of being the
first and only three-legged dog on our blood donor list!

He may only have three legs, but he has more than 100% heart
(* to clarify, that’s a metaphor; his

heart is normal and healthy).

If you have a pet – with three or four legs – who would like
to donate blood to help our patients, please contact Adrian Kuzemchak, the VCA
VRA hospital Blood Bank Coordinator. Blood
donors save lives of patients with immune disorders and cancers as well as
those who have suffered trauma.

To qualify, dogs must be from 2 – 7 years of age, weigh over
50 pounds, be current on vaccines, spayed or neutered and have no adverse
health issues. Cats must be between 2 – 7
years of age, over 10 pounds in weight, up to date on vaccines, live indoors
only, be spayed or neutered, and have no adverse health issues.

To honor our canine volunteers, each blood donor receives an
exam and free annual bloodwork, a bag of food after each donation, a year’s
supply of heartworm preventative, 20% off their veterinary bill if seen at our
hospital and free blood products for life (if needed) once they have made three
blood donations.

To show our appreciation, our feline donors receive an exam
and free annual bloodwork, a bag of food after each donation, 20% off their
veterinary bill if seen at our hospital and free blood products for life (if
needed) once they have made three blood donations.

Welcome Olympia to the VCA VRA Family!

Initially, I thought Olympia was
just another dog in need who I shared on social media. My hope when sharing all
rescues, required transports and potential adoptees is that one post will lead
to another and eventually unearth a foster, or ideally, a forever home. This
time my share was seen by Megan, a supervising technician where I work, VCA
Veterinary Referral Associates in Gaithersburg, Maryland. She contacted me and
suggested we speak with our management team about the possibility of fostering Olympia
at our hospital. Our management team readily agreed and I sprang to set the
wheels in motion by contacting her temporary shelter through Facebook, email
and by telephone.

Once I connected with employees
at the shelter, they gave me the limited background information they knew about
Olympia. She was found as a stray and never re-claimed by her owner. She is an approximately
eight (8) year old spayed female Pitbull mix who came to the shelter weighing
roughly 128 pounds. Judging from her appearance, her ideal weight should be
around 60 pounds. This translates into a sixty-eight-pound weight loss. Poor
baby!

VCA VRA's Role in Olympia's Weight Loss and Rehabilitation

I also discussed with the
shelter, the role our hospital could potentially play to provide Olympia a
health plan for the immediate future. I explained, we are a specialty and
emergency hospital, open at all times, who would be willing to care for Olympia
during her weight loss journey. She would be kept solely at our hospital,
except for occasional sleepovers at the homes of some of our employees. She
would receive a strictly controlled diet, be enrolled in an in-house weight
loss and rehabilitation program and receive frequent visits and a great deal of
socialization from the 24/7 staff we employ. I described our facility, noting that
we are a unique hospital and have a dedicated rehabilitation department with a
pool (complete with doggy life vests), two underwater treadmills, an indoor
treadmill, laser therapy and acupuncture. After my description of what we could
and would provide Olympia, the Friends of Montgomery County Animal Care and
Control gladly accepted our offer to foster Olympia! So my Critical Care technician,
Natalie Baker, and I made the trip to Christiansburg, Virginia (go Hokies!) to
pick up Miss Olympia on August 6, 2016.

Overweight and obese pets are a
serious and difficult challenge for many owners, as their motivation is solely
to assure their beloved cat or dog is happy. Sometimes, there are underlying
diseases (like hypothyroidism) that can contribute to weight gain but more
often than not, pet owners simply overfeed their animals. Unfortunately,
obesity in pets creates many of the same risks found in obese humans. Some of
the primary dangers to good health include: increased wear and tear on the
joints leading to osteoarthritis, development of type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure, respiratory and cardiac disease, increased risk for the development
of different types of cancer and sadly, decreased life expectancy.

Olympia does have existing joint
issues but VCA Veterinary Referral Associates will do everything in our power
to help her achieve her healthy weight and prevent further damage to her body. Both
Olympia and our hospital would love your support and good thoughts during her
journey! We will continue to keep you updated regarding her progress.

Welcome to the VRA family, sweet
Olympia. We love you already, for sure!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Ask a VCA Vet

If my dog is limping, what should I do and how do I know if she needs to
get treatment?

First and foremost, in any situation, if you have concerns
about your pet, please contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. This
response is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical
concerns and cannot take the place of a thorough exam conducted by your pet’s
veterinarian.

Dogs can limp for a wide variety of reasons (e.g. muscle
injury, cuts, fractures, skin issues, neurologic diseases) and the onset and
severity may dictate whether or not you decide to have your pet seen
immediately or make an appointment with your veterinarian.

Put simply, if your pet has a very minor limp, does not
appear to be painful, and is still bearing weight, then the limping (lameness)
MAY be less of an emergency and you have time to make an appointment. If your
pet is not bearing weight, seems very painful, or has an abnormal limb angle,
then straight to the vet you go!

I recommend you check paw pads/nails as you may find a very
obvious issue, such as a broken nail or cut on a paw pad. You can gently run
your hands down the limbs and put the limbs through range of motion to find a
particular area or joint that may feel swollen, warm, or painful.

The easiest thing for people to do at home is EXERCISE
RESTRICTION. Unfortunately, a lot of dogs don’t understand “taking it easy” so
they are apt to continue to walk/run/jump despite their lameness. So, only take
your pet outside for a brief walk to eliminate until you can see your
veterinarian. Otherwise keep them confined and try to have them refrain from
activity.

There is much more to discuss on the subject but it very
much depends on the underlying cause of the lameness.

The number one thing to stress – DO NOT GIVE YOUR DOG ANY
MEDICATIONS UNLESS ADVISED BY A VETERINARIAN!!! That means no human or other
animal’s medications. Dogs are not small people and do not tolerate a lot of
medications people can take. So, don’t let the internet tell you to give
Ibuprofen!

What are common first aid issues and how do we handle them?

There are so many answers for this question but I will focus
on one of the best things about summer…the heat!

Heat exhaustion and hyperthermia can be a real problem as
the days become warmer. Even the healthiest pets are vulnerable to the side
effects of hot and/or humid weather. Some dogs (such as the beloved bulldog and
other brachycephalic breeds) are highly susceptible to heat stroke.

A few easy things you can do to keep your dogs cool, happy
and healthy…

1) Find
shady spots when you go for walks or are outside for extended periods

2) Take
breaks on your walks and let your pet rest even if you feel fine.

3) Seek air
conditioning or fans routinely

4) Lots of
water!! Bring extra water, your dog will go through as much or more than you
do!

5) Be
careful of very hot pavement or long walks on pavement – paw pads are not
indestructible

6) Talk to
your veterinarian about whether shaving your dog would benefit them – believe
it or not, most dogs shouldn’t really have their hair shaved!

7) If your
dog is older, overweight, or brachycephalic (bulldog type, short face) – it may
be best to keep them inside on warm days or only have very abbreviated outside
time. As much as they may like walks, heat intolerance can be a huge issue for
these particular pets.

8) NEVER
LEAVE YOUR PET IN A CAR, NO MATTER HOW QUICK YOU THINK YOU WILL BE!!! Even if
it is cooler outside, the windows in your car will act like a greenhouse and
temperatures can reach dangerous levels quickly.

9) Signs of
heat stroke include difficulty breathing, excessive panting, drooling,
weakness, abnormal mentation, elevated heart rate, vomiting, bloody diarrhea,
seizures. Normal temperature for dogs is ~100-102.5 F. If their temp is over
104, get out of the sun and into a vet!

What should I do if my dog’s gums are bleeding?

This is an interesting question. Bleeding gums in dogs can
represent a variety of issues. In the first aid setting, some dogs can be hard
chewers, meaning they chew sticks/rocks/whatever they can get their mouth on,
and they chew it to pieces. Some dogs will chew so hard they abrade or scrape
their gums and cause bleeding. However, things like bad dental disease,
bleeding disorder, or tumors in the mouth can easily cause the gums to bleed.

If you see your dog’s gums are bleeding, carefully and if
they will let you - check their mouth (roof, under tongue, around teeth) to see
if there is any foreign object stuck or abnormality noted. If the gums are only
lightly bleeding and the bleeding stops, it may not be an emergency and a visit
to your vet in the near future would be warranted. If your dog has dental
disease, just like in people, bad gingivitis may be the culprit.

Feeding a soft diet (e.g. moistening dry food with water or
canned diet) and avoiding any hard treats or toys for a few days may be
helpful.

If you see signs of bruising or small red/purple spots on
the gums or mucous membranes (fancy term called petechia) this may represent a
serious bleeding disorder and recommend consultation with a vet immediately.

What should I do if my dog ate some unknown object on a walk?

If the only thing you noticed was your dog eating then
swallowing something, it’s a bit of a toss up. I would never recommend that
every dog that eats something unknown be made to vomit, but in certain
situations inducing emesis (making them vomit) is absolutely needed and in
other cases, it is actually contraindicated (e.g. bleach ingestion). The ASPCA has a great poison control helpline
that can be helpful, (IF you now what your pet ingested).

You can always monitor your pet at home for any abnormal
clinical signs to develop. If your pet is showing any abnormal signs (e.g. vomiting,
retching, abnormal mentation, seizures, etc.) do not attempt to make them
vomit, go directly to a veterinarian!

However, sometimes it is better safe than sorry. If you have
concerns or a suspicion the mystery material may have been something toxic, then
seeking veterinary attention would still be warranted. The ideal scenario to
induce vomiting is under veterinary supervision. Here at VCA VRA we use an
injectable medication called apomorphine that works great!

If you cannot seek veterinary attention, hydrogen peroxide
is really the only good home remedy. The appropriate dose is 3% Hydrogen
peroxide (not hair dye!) – one teaspoon per 5 pounds body weight up to 9
teaspoons or 3 tablespoons. If you have an oral syringe one teaspoon equals 5
cc or 5 mL. Once given, walk and gently shake the stomach area. If no vomiting
occurs within 15 to 20 minutes, you can repeat this dose ONCE. Hydrogen
peroxide can be very irritating to the stomach lining, so I would recommend
consulting with a veterinarian before administering. The good news is we are
available at VCA VRA 24/7 to help you out 

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/

What should I do if my dog seems constipated?

Again, not a simple answer. I preface all of this with, talk
with your veterinarian before doing anything else. However, there are a few
things you can do if your dog seems constipated. – First and foremost, often
owners give a history of “constipation” but in actuality the dog is straining
to defecate because it is having DIARRHEA! (The fancy term is called tenesmus).
So if you see your dog posturing/straining and nothing is coming out, look
closer in the yard to see if you find evidence of diarrhea. I would say more
than half the time people say their dog is constipated; the dog is actually
straining from diarrhea.

If your pet is truly constipated, often times it takes a
trip to the vet to improve. If you notice their feces are very hard and/or
small, then increasing water consumption or feeding moist/wet canned food may
help. I do not recommend people give over the counter laxatives to dogs without
a veterinarian consult, as some can do more harm than good. Some probiotics and
occasionally added fiber (e.g. canned pumpkin) can also help.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Meet Louis, a three year old Cocker Spaniel cross, who over
several months developed a large, firm mass attached to the left portion of his
skull. The mass deviated his left eye and felt like a bony growth under his
skin.

A CT scan demonstrated a rather uncommon tumor, whose name
has changed multiple times over the years and is referred to today as a
Multilobulated Osteochondroma (MLO). These tumors usually arise from the flat
bones of the skull. Although they are typically evident on the outside of the skull,
they tend to grow just as aggressively on the inside, often compressing the
brain.

This tumor was exceedingly large and besides the extensive
nature of the mass, my concern was that its removal might compromise the
drainage of blood from the brain, thus leading to Louis’ death. We fortunately
have very specialized equipment that not only allows us to look at a mass from
all directions but has the ability to construct an accurate three dimensional
model giving us specific landmarks for growth removal.

I have included 3-D reproductions of the mass from the
front, the side and the top. I’ve included a cross sectional view that shows the
mass compressing Louis’ brain. I colored the brain red-brown and the mass in
green so that you can appreciate the amount of pressure exerted.

The surgery involved removing the entire boney mass and then
additionally, to ensure wide margins, removing a significant portion of the
left boney orbit that holds the left eye, the left frontal sinus and much of the
right frontal sinus. Closing the surgical incision so the brain is protected
and adding material to insure no access for infection from Louis’ nasal
passages to his brain, are problems we have seen and solved many times in the
past. Several techniques I learned, while rotating with human neurosurgeons, were
helpful.

Included is a picture of Louis the day after surgery and one
week after surgery.We are going to
remove his staples in about two weeks and may have to trim the extra skin which
developed as the mass slowly stretched the area out of shape.

This tumor, even with the finest of excisions, does tend to
grow back. However, this

may occur years from now. I have removed the same type of
tumor from some dogs two, three and four times while they continued to live a normal,
happy life. Louis looks pretty darn handsome already and is back to behaving
like his usual sweet self.

When faced with extremely complicated cases, VCA VRA is
known for its excellent results over the past three decades. Our experienced
staff and cutting edge technology are available 24/7 should your furry friend
be in crisis.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Wyatt is an adorable patient at VCA Veterinary Referral
Associates. He has had three brain surgeries with our neurologist, Dr. Steven
Steinberg.

I call him ‘King Wyatt’ because he rules the Critical Care
Unit whenever he is here. Because of time constraints, I made him an official
crown with construction paper, tape, and a roll of cotton gauze. When it was
complete, he paraded around the hospital wearing it and brightened everyone’s
day. His Mom, who is a local veterinarian, loved it too and said that seeing
the crowned Wyatt made her day as well!